Improvement in furnaces



F. PEREZ de la TEGA.

Furnace.

No. 222,941. Patented Dec. 23, I8 79 WITNESSES: I S INVENTOR; N W @042 M40/ JA/ ATTORNEYS.

I N, PETERS, PNOTD-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON n c.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OEEIcE FELIPE PEREZ DE LA TEGA, OF HAVANA, cUBA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FURNACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,941, dated December23, 1879; application filed July 30, 1879.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FELIPE PEREZ DE LA TEGA, of Havana, Cuba, haveinvented a new and Improved Furnace, of which the following is aspecification.

My improvements relate especially to furnaces for burning bagasse, orbagasse with other fuel, but are applicable to furnaces generally.

The object of the invention is to consume the smoke and gasesthoroughly; to aid the combustion of slow-burning fuel, such as wetbagasse, by burning with it a quick-burning fuel; to permit the keepingof a small fire when active operations are suspended, and to prevent theaccumulation of carbonized fuel in the ash-pit of the furnace.

In my improved furnace there are three gratesa central grate with asmaller one at each side and on a lower level. Above the side grates thefire-chamber is formed with arches, which, being intensely heated by aquick fire on the side grates, the smoke and gases are quickened to arapid combustion. The grate-surfaces are formed with a solid portion atthe back, on which the carbonized bagasse or other fuel collects and isconsumed, and beneath the furnace is an arched passage, connecting withthe ash'pit and outer air at the side of the furnace, whereby theash-pit space is kept cool and danger from fire driven out by backpressure is prevented.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my improved furnace as fittedin connection with an evaporating-pan, for which pan I have madeapplication for Letters Patent.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a section planview on the line at 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a vertical transverse sectionon the line y y.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The furnace-stack A will be built of brick, in suitable proportions oflength and width. It is formed with the fire-chamber B and ashpit O atthe front, and escape-flue a at the rear. b is the main or centralgrate, and c c the side grates, supported on suitable bearers, the grate12 being on a higher level than grates a. At

the rear of these grates is a blind portion or shelf, 1) c.

The firechamber B is arched above the grates 0, and drawn in at the backto the bridge-wall 01, so that the space for the escape of the productsof combustion is about the width of the central grate, b.

The pan or boiler D extends from the front wall, 6, to near the rearwall, J. The space between J and the rear of the boiler is divided by ahorizontal partition, f, which causes the products of combustion toreturn to the front-,'.

and back again, by the tubular flues of the pan, before their final exitby flue a. I

The front wall, e, is formed with a space, 0, into which the tubes open,and a door, g, permits access to the tubes. The front wall is alsoprovided with openings and doors h 'i '5, for giving access separatelyto the grates b c c in firing.

The ash-pit O is divided by walls is, running lengthwise, so that thereis a separate space for each grate, which spaces open at the rear to thearched spacel beyond the grate, so that the ashes from beneath eachgrate can be raked into the space I. At the rear side of space I is anarched space, m, opening from one side of the furnace A, and connectingat the opposite side. with an upwardly-opening flue, n. This space atgives access beneath the furnace, furnishes the air for draft,and-maintains a current of air which cools the ashes. Doors may befitted for closing the openings to space at when required.

In burning bagasse the fuel becomes carbonized from an insufficientsupply of air, and, falling into the ash-pit, is there ignited, so thatthe grates are rapidly burned out.

Another difficulty has been, especially where high winds prevail, thatthe fire is forced backward through the draft-openings in long sheets offlame, which ignite the accumulations of ba'gasse and cause a generalconflagration. The construction above described obviates thesedifficulties. The carbonized fuel can be pushed upon the blind surfaces12 o, and will there be gradually consumed. The space beneath the gratesmay be kept clear of refuse and the refuse cooled. The furnace has anample supply of air, and in case of back-drafts the pressure isequalized by the arched space m being open at both ends.

Heretofore, if the bagasse fuel was too wet to burn, a more expensivefuel, such as coal,

had to he used. By the use of the triple grates, as shown and described,a tire of Wood or coal can be kindled upon the smaller side grates, andthe Wet ba-gasse placed on the center grate, where it will be dried andconsumed. The arches above the grates 0 will become highly heated, andthe smoke, coming in contact there with, will be ignited and pass in hotflames over the bridge-wall. The triple grates are also advantageous torkeeping up a limited amount of heat and small pressure of steam by afire of slow-burning fuel on the smaller grates during the night, sothat in the morning active Work may be quickly resumed by placing thelighter fuel on the grate b.

This furnace is especially useful for sugarevaporating, and can be usedwith open or vacuum pans. By using pans or boilers with thereturn-fines, as shown, the heat is utilized to the greatest extent, andat least one-half less fuel required than heretofore to perform the samework.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters .nace, substantially asand for the purposes specified.

FELIPE PEREZ DE LA TEGA. Witnesses:

J 0s. A. SPRINGER, J 0s. A. RAPHEL.

